The proposed study is concerned with the oral health of elderly Americans. It aims to develop and compare the efficacy of programs in preventive dentistry for an institutionalized lederly population. The research will represent an initial effort to educate the elderly in oral hygiene and to monitor the success of such a program. The immediate and long-term effects of two different preventive education models will be compared with a periodic check-up and a control condition. Changes in oral hygiene habits, in status of oral health, and in self-sufficiency of oral care will be assessed in this longitudinal study. Finally, the psychological impact of improved oral hygiene and increased self-sufficiency will be investigated.